- This event has passed.
GCMN Chapter Meeting-How Land Mgmt Decisions Shape the Fate of TX Water and Climate – Dr. Nico Hauwert
- 6:30-7 PM – Social time & Nibbles
-
7 PM – Chapter business
-
No later than 7:30 PM – Featured speaker presentation and Q&A
-
8:30 PM – Door prizes & Meeting end
For members, please record your time using the guidance found here
Featured speaker and presentation:
Join us for a fascinating and timely presentation by hydrogeologist Dr. Nico Hauwert on how land-management decisions shape the fate of Texas’s water and climate—from aquifer recharge to hurricane deflection.
Dr. Hauwert has spent more than 40 years studying and protecting Texas’s groundwater systems. His groundbreaking dye-tracing research demonstrated that water in the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer moves rapidly—transforming how we understand aquifer vulnerability. He has restored and mapped hundreds of caves and helped conserve vital recharge areas.
He has served – among other roles – as:
– Program Manager of Austin Water’s Balcones Canyonlands Preserve (2016–2024)
– Senior Environmental Scientist at Austin Watershed Protection
– Senior Hydrogeologist at Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District
He holds degrees in geology from UT Austin and the University of Toledo, and he was awarded the 2024 Lifetime Groundwater Defender Award by Save Barton Creek Association.
Key topics include:
– Climate tower data showing how ashe juniper/oak forests help prevent flooding and retain moisture through droughts
– The overlooked ecological role of native trees and their relationship to regional weather systems
– Historical deforestation impacts—like the 1921 San Antonio flood—and long-term effects on soil, reservoirs, and coastal health
– How sediment and runoff from the Hill Country affect ecosystems as far as Matagorda Bay
Drawing on his collaboration with Elizabeth McGreevey (Wanted! Mountain Cedars) and longtime colleague Lisa O’Donnell, Dr. Hauwert reframes forest and cave ecology as essential components of water planning and climate stability.
Remote meeting option via Zoom – LINK to register
Register in advance for the meeting(s)
https://zoom.us/meeting/
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
This link will be the same for all 2025 meetings, and once you register once, you do not need to register again; simply go to the link that Zoom sends you after registering.
Food & drinks
Please let’s keep it up and bring a dish/fruit/snacks/non-